COVID-19: Summary of Provincial Announcements

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For full details relating to each announcement, refer to www.novascotia.ca/news

April 2

  • State of Emergency is extended to April 19, 2020 
  • COVID-19 Worker Emergency Bridge – $20 million
  • Small Business COVID-19 Impact Grant – $19 million
  • Map and graphs of COVID-19 test results is now online here

March 30           

  • Schools closed until May 1. Online and paper-based learning strategies are being developed to support student learning.
  • Employer Assessment tool to help businesses and non-profits clarify if they can remain open and how to comply with public health orders and workplace safety requirements added online

March 27      

  • Support for landlords who enter into a rent deferral agreement with their commercial tenants
  • Restaurants can now include alcohol in their take-out and delivery sales
  • Government has purchased 800 ipads for use in long term care facilities

March 26           

  • COVID testing is being expanded to include:
    • Anyone referred by 811 to an assessment centre
    • All close contacts of people who test positive
    • People in hospital that meet the criteria for testing
  • Reservations for 2020 camping season are on hold until further notice
  • Open fires for any purpose in woods or within 305 metres of woods in any part of the province are banned until May 15

March 24            

  • Measures to strengthen the health system, help Nova Scotians dealing with COVID-19
  • Access Centres and Registry of Motor Vehicle Offices to resume operations in a scaled back, limited contact business model.
  • Regulated health professions can stay open for emergency or urgent care or to provide virtual care as long as they meet social distancing requirements
  • Non-regulated health professions must close (with exception of podiatrists)

March 22             State of Emergency declared

March 21            

  • Dentists can no longer practice dentistry in their offices unless deemed necessary to perform an emergency dental procedure

March 18            

  • Announcement re: Personal Services and fitness establishments
    • Includes: hair salons, barbershops, spas, nail salons, body art establishments, gyms

March 17            

  • No public gatherings of more than 50 people
  • Announcements re: restaurants
    • Only take-out and delivery permitted
    • Drinking establishments, winery and distillery tasting rooms and craft taprooms closed
    • Private liquor stores permitted to be open, and craft breweries, wineries and distilleries can still sell storefront
  • Access Nova Scotia closed

March 15           

  • Long-term care closed effective immediately
  • Public schools and regulated childcare closed
  • Social distancing – 2 meters/6 feet, gatherings of less than 150 or much smaller if possible

COVID-19: Bank of Canada Updates Monetary Policy in Unscheduled Announcement

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On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Bank of Canada issued an unscheduled announcement, updating monetary policy and revealing new initiatives to defend Canadian households. Those announcements include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Lowering the overnight target rate by 0.5 per centage points to 0.25 per cent;
  • A quantitative easing program with the purchase of a minimum of $5 billion per week of Government of Canada securities in the secondary market;
  • A Commercial Paper Purchase Program (CPPP) will help to alleviate strains in short-term funding markets used by businesses (more details forthcoming)

The Bank of Canada’s next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is April 15, 2020.

Read the full releases from the Bank of Canada: Rate announcement, Press conference opening statement.

COVID-19: Minister Announces Temporary Ban on Commercial Evictions

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On March 27, 20202, the Minister of Municipal Affairs released direction, concerning the protection of property and a province-wide ban on evictions.

Effective as of 6:00 am on March 31, 2020, all retail and other commercial landlords are prohibited from exercising the remedies of notice to quit or distress available under a commercial lease, commercial agreement, the Tenancy and Distress for Rent Act, or otherwise for rent due on or after March 22, 2020, from a retail or commercial tenant who has been required to close their business or their business has been substantially and directly restricted under the requirements of a Medical Officer’s order issued under the Health Protection Act

Read the full direction issued under the Emergency Management Act here.

COVID-19: Interprovincial Work – How Does PEI’s Public Health Order Impact You?

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On March 21, 2020, PEI issues a Public Health Order that may impact the operations of some of our members doing interprovincial work. Some relevant information has been included below, but it is not meant to be an exhaustive list. To read the full Public Health order, please click here.

  • Construction workers coming into PEI should be coming in for essential construction projects only. (These workers are considered exempt from self-isolation requirements),
  • However, when not at work, they must follow the self-isolation protocol,
  • It is important that those workers self-monitor for symptoms such as a new cough, fever and difficulty breathing,
  • The project foreman should also be reviewing their employee illness protocols and enhancing the cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces around the construction site and workplace vehicles. 

Regardless of exemptions, while some construction projects are considered essential, the advice shared around the country is to practice social distancing, proper hygiene and frequent handwashing, no matter who you are or where you live. Work should only continue while it is safe and reasonable to do so.

COVID-19: HRM Payment Dropbox Location

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Are you a developer looking to make payment for HRM permits via cheque? HRM has a designated dropbox located at the Bayers Road Centre (7071 Bayers Road), Halifax for your payment.

Click here to see the dropbox location.

COVID-19: EI and ROE – Key Updates for Businesses and Individuals

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Please note: All in-person Service Canada Centres are closed to the public. Service Canada call centres are open and agents are available to assist with critical services. Call volumes are expected to be high for the foreseeable future. Please visit Canada.ca for information. If you have difficulty getting through, please try again later.

EI Updates (For Individuals) —

The online EI application (Appliweb) has been updated to include additional reasons that individuals can choose from for separation options. The following changes have been made in response to the question “Why are you no longer working?”

  • Shortage of work option:  Now indicates “includes closure due to COVID-19” in the explanation.
  • Sick Leave option:  Now includes “quarantine” in the explanation.

Need more help? Clients can call the 1-800 for urgent requests or submit a request via their online channel (https://www.canada.ca/en/service-canada/e-service.html) 

ROE Updates (For Employers) —

If your employees are directly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and they are no longer working, you must issue a Record of Employment (ROE). These are one of the key pieces of information needed for the automated claims processing system. Without this from the employer, it will delay individuals’ claims.

  • When completing ROE for those off-work due to COVID-19, please use the following codes, (in relation to Box 16 – Reason for Separation)
    • When the Employee is sick or quarantined: Code D (illness or Injury)
    • When the Employee stops working due to shortage of work or shutdown due to COVID-19: Code A (Shortage of Work)
    • When the Employee is not sick or quarantined but not working due to other reasons related to COVID-19: Code E (Quit) or Code N (Leave of Absence)
  • IMPORTANT: add comments only when required. Doing so causes the ROE to be pulled from the automatic processing queue for manual review. 

Need more help? Contact Service Canada’s Employer Contact Centre (https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/contact/employer-contact-center.html)

For more information about Service Canada updates related to COVID-19, please click here.

COVID-19: A round-up of government supports for business from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce

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The Halifax Chamber of Commerce issued the following round-up of supports, from municipal, provincial and federal governments as of March 26, 2020. Follow the link below to find out more information about Rent Deferral, Emergency Leave and Worker’s Compensation.

Read through the round-up of Supports for Businesses by Government.

COVID-19: PM Announces Financial Support for Small Businesses

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The Prime Minister’s Office announced new support for small businesses affected by COVID-19. Some of these include, but are not limited to:

  • Increasing the wage subsidy from 10% to 75%,
  • Allowing businesses, including self-employed, to defer all GST and HST payments until June,
  • Launching the new Canada Emergency Benefit Account,
  • Launching the new Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Load and Guarantee Program. 

Click here to read the full release from the Prime Minister’s Office.

COVID-19: Nova Scotia Now Has 90 Cases

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The following information is from the most recent update provided by the Government of Nova Scotia.

March 27, 2020    1:45 PM

As of today, March 27, Nova Scotia has 90 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Seventeen new cases were identified Thursday, March 26. Most are connected to travel or a known case. At this point, public health cannot confirm a link to community spread.

The 90 individuals affected range in age from under ten to mid-70’s. Two individuals are currently in hospital. Three individuals have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province.

Click here to read the full release from the Province.

Premier Stephen McNeil and chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang also provided an update today at about 3 p.m. A recording of the news conference is available on the NS Gov Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/nsgov

To date, Nova Scotia has 3,649 negative test results and 90 confirmed cases.

COVID-19 FAQs: Your Construction Questions Answered

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Please find linked below a response provided by Duff Montgomery, Deputy Minister, LAE addressing clarifications sought by CANS on our members’ behalf. These responses were developed in collaboration with TIR, Department of Health and Communications NS.

Click HERE to access the answers to your FAQs. 

As is noted, this is a rapidly evolving situation and they are subject to change, but we highly recommend acting accordingly.